Probes, blast furnaces equipped therewith, and methods of fabricating probes

Abstract

Probes, blast furnaces equipped therewith, and methods of fabricating probes. Such a probe includes a base, a shell connected to the base and constructed of at least first and second housing members that extend together along a length of the probe in a longitudinal direction thereof, and at least one support structure interconnecting the first and second housing members. The probe includes a coolant circuit comprising at least one coolant passage within an interior cavity of the shell. The coolant passage has at least one tube supported by the support structure so that the tube contacts at least one of the first and second housing members. At least one sensor is disposed in the second housing member for performing a measurement at an exterior of the shell.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A probe comprising:
 a base; 
 a shell connected to the base, the shell being constructed of at least first and second housing members that extend together along a length of the probe in a longitudinal direction thereof and are joined in a clamshell-like manner to define an interior cavity therebetween and between the base and a nose of the shell; 
 support structures interconnecting the first and second housing members, at least a first of the support structures being disposed within the interior cavity of the shell; 
 a coolant circuit comprising at least a first coolant passage within the interior cavity of the shell, the first coolant passage extending along the length of the probe for cooling the shell, the first coolant passage being defined by at least a first tube supported by the first support structure and contacting at least one of the first and second housing members; and 
 at least one sensor disposed in at least the second housing member for performing a measurement at an exterior of the shell. 
 
     
     
       2. The probe according to  claim 1 , wherein the first tube contacts the first housing member and the first coolant passage is further defined by at least a second tube that is supported by the first support structure and contacts the second housing member. 
     
     
       3. The probe according to  claim 2 , wherein the coolant circuit comprises at least a second coolant passage that is fluidically isolated from the first coolant passage within the probe. 
     
     
       4. The probe according to  claim 3 , wherein the second coolant passage is within the interior cavity of the shell, supported by the first support structure, and contacts at least one of the first and second housing members. 
     
     
       5. The probe according to  claim 4 , wherein the first and second tubes of the first coolant passage are spaced vertically within the shell and fluidically interconnected by a first coupling near the nose of the shell. 
     
     
       6. The probe according to  claim 5 , wherein the second coolant passage is defined by third and fourth tubes that are spaced horizontally within the shell and fluidically interconnected by a second coupling located near the nose of the shell. 
     
     
       7. The probe according to  claim 6 , wherein the third and fourth tubes of the second coolant passage contact, respectively, the first and second housing members. 
     
     
       8. The probe according to  claim 7 , wherein the first support structure is X-shaped to define four legs that extend in diagonal directions thereof, the first and second tubes of the first coolant passage are nested between the legs on upper and lower sides of the first support structure, and the third and fourth tubes of the second coolant passage are nested between the legs on opposite lateral sides of the first support structure. 
     
     
       9. The probe according to  claim 1 , wherein the first housing member is an upper housing member of the shell, the second housing member is a lower housing member of the shell, and the first and second housing members are joined together along lateral sides of the shell. 
     
     
       10. The probe according to  claim 9 , further comprising a well mounted exteriorly to the second housing member, the sensor having a sensing junction embedded in the well. 
     
     
       11. The probe according to  claim 10 , further comprising a thermal insulator disposed between the well and the second housing member. 
     
     
       12. The probe according to  claim 1 , further comprising wiring routed through the interior cavity of the shell to the sensor and supported within the interior cavity by at least the first support structure. 
     
     
       13. The probe according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises multiple sensors each having wiring routed through the interior cavity of the shell to the sensor and supported within the interior cavity by at least the first support structure. 
     
     
       14. The probe according to  claim 13 , wherein the first support structure is X-shaped to define four legs that extend in diagonal directions thereof, and the wiring passes through the legs of the first support structure and define an X-shaped pattern within the interior cavity. 
     
     
       15. The probe according to  claim 14 , wherein the coolant circuit comprises at least a second coolant passage that is fluidically isolated from the first coolant passage within the probe, the first coolant passage has a second tube and the first and second tubes of the first coolant passage are spaced vertically within the shell and fluidically interconnected by a first coupling, the second coolant passage is defined by third and fourth tubes that are spaced horizontally within the shell and fluidically interconnected by a second coupling, the first and second tubes of the first coolant passage are disposed between the legs of the first support structure on opposite sides of the X-shaped pattern, and the third and fourth tubes of the second coolant passage are disposed between the legs of the first support structure on opposite sides of the X-shaped pattern. 
     
     
       16. The probe according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second housing members is fabricated from a structural angle initially having an L-shaped cross section but with at least one leg thereof bent so that the shell has a polygonal cross-sectional shape having at least six sides. 
     
     
       17. The probe according to  claim 1 , further comprising protective plating exteriorly attached to the first housing member, the plating comprising multiple plates having a shingled arrangement with a distal edge of each of the plates overlapping a proximal edge of an immediately adjacent one of the plates. 
     
     
       18. The probe according to  claim 17 , wherein the first housing member is an upper housing member of the shell, the second housing member is a lower housing member of the shell, and the first and second housing members are joined together along lateral sides of the shell. 
     
     
       19. The probe according to  claim 1 , wherein the probe is an above-burden probe of a blast furnace. 
     
     
       20. The probe according to  claim 19 , wherein the above-burden probe is installed in the blast furnace. 
     
     
       21. The probe according to  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor. 
     
     
       22. The probe according to  claim 21 , wherein the probe is an above-burden probe installed in a blast furnace, and the second housing member and the sensor attached thereto face downward toward a burden material within the blast furnace. 
     
     
       23. A probe comprising:
 a base; 
 a shell connected to the base, the shell being constructed of at least first and second housing members that extend together along a length of the probe in a longitudinal direction thereof and define an interior cavity therebetween and between the base and a nose of the shell; 
 support structures interconnecting the first and second housing members, at least a first of the support structures being disposed within the interior cavity of the shell; 
 a coolant circuit comprising at least a first coolant passage within the interior cavity of the shell, the first coolant passage extending along the length of the probe for cooling the shell, the first coolant passage being defined by at least a first tube supported by the first support structure and contacting at least one of the first and second housing members; 
 at least one sensor disposed in at least the second housing member for performing a measurement at an exterior of the shell; and 
 a well mounted exteriorly to the second housing member, the sensor having a sensing junction embedded in the well; 
 wherein the first housing member is an upper housing member of the shell, the second housing member is a lower housing member of the shell, and the first and second housing members are joined together along lateral sides of the shell. 
 
     
     
       24. A probe comprising:
 a base; 
 a shell connected to the base, the shell being constructed of at least first and second housing members that extend together along a length of the probe in a longitudinal direction thereof and define an interior cavity therebetween and between the base and a nose of the shell; 
 support structures interconnecting the first and second housing members, at least a first of the support structures being disposed within the interior cavity of the shell; 
 a coolant circuit comprising at least a first coolant passage within the interior cavity of the shell, the first coolant passage extending along the length of the probe for cooling the shell, the first coolant passage being defined by at least a first tube supported by the first support structure and contacting at least one of the first and second housing members; and 
 at least one sensor disposed in at least the second housing member for performing a measurement at an exterior of the shell; 
 wherein the at least one sensor comprises multiple sensors each having wiring routed through the interior cavity of the shell to the sensor and supported within the interior cavity by at least the first support structure, the first support structure is X-shaped to define four legs that extend in diagonal directions thereof, and the wiring passes through the legs of the first support structure and defines an X-shaped pattern within the interior cavity.